#WHM: Amanda Jacobs

Thamsanqa Amanda Jacobs is a 24 year old young lady from the far East of Johannesburg in a township called Tsakane. She is a full-time writer, poet and spoken word performing artist.

This is her 5th year as a performer and has since been trying to secure her space within the arts industry and working towards “breaking the stereotypes surrounding one’s talent not being sufficient to pay the bills and that, one cannot survive on their dreams.” She feels it’s hard to be an artist, especially one from a black society because you tend to be considered as ‘unsuccessful’, as there is a lack of a basic salary and having no boss. “There is a desperate need to break that mentality and push ourselves to never stop dreaming, as YOUR dreams only come true when YOU work on them and believe in yourself.”

Amanda has shared stages with most amazing Jo’burg poets and has also been part of the Kacey Moore ‘Don’t Seat There Voiceless’ DSTV Tour. She is currently working in a series called ‘The Proverbs Series’, which features amazing women from 3 provinces who let their writing strip down their emotions and it will be showcased around Johannesburg and other cities soon. So be sure to look out for that on her personal social pages

Another project she is currently working on, is the #DonateABook_Ekurhuleni charity, where books from all categories are welcome for donation. The aim of this project is to collect as many books as possible to be donated to schools, daycare centres and varsity students who need them. [To donate, you can like their Facebook page; DonateABook Ekurhuleni.]

Her writing has allowed her to heal herself and others through the far-reaching of her words, or rather stories expressed through poetry. This venture has taught her to wear her own shoes and step into those of others, by being the voice that brings their stories to life through utterance. For her, being a poet gives one a mouth and a voice and the choice to speak is one she feels is most suitable for her expressive nature.

By speaking, she does not only do so for her own benefit, but to raise the voices of all women who have been emotionally abused or victims of rape and are too afraid to speak out about it. “Knowing how it feels to die makes you want to be a big sister to all women of all ages, I want to speak until the silence is broken”, as she goes on to elaborate on why she feels so strongly about her love for spoken word. Regardless of whether it is through spoken word or written pieces, she still stands to be the upliftment that every women needs from time-to-time, as this for her, is “the generation of warrior women who build each other, stand by each other and who do not turn a blind eye to the credibility of another woman’s claim of being raped by assuming that she might be exaggerating.” Together with other poets, Amanda is driving the message to move away from living in shadows, as all women are breathing for everyone.

In her words; “Women are going to take all the space they need and they will take it NOW!”

I am a young, South African-born lady, who is passionate about writing.
I am currently in my final year at the University of South Africa, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Leadership and Citizenship.